Expansion-coupling.



No. 848,284. PATENTED MAR. 2 1907 E. B-. FREEMAN.

EXPANSION COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED APR-12.1905.

THE runners PETERS :o., umsumcror/ r c PATENTED MAR. 26, 1907. E. B.FREEMAN, EXPANSION COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED APR.12.1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

v 114: nozems PETERS cm, \VASHINGTON, n. c

UNITED sTAp s grEN'r OFFICE,

ERNEST B. FREEMAN, OF DEDHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO B. F.STURTEVANT COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORA- TION OFMASSACHUSETTS.

EXPANSION-COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 26, 1907.

Application filed April 12, 1905- Serial No. 255,185.

To (ti/Z 11/71/0111 it 71mg concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST B. FREEMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Dedham, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Expansion-Couplings and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact descrip tion of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to an expansion-coupling particularlydesigned for use in connection with feed-water heaters orfueleconomizers.

A wcll-known type of fuel-economizer comprises a series of upperheaders, which are in communication with each other at their rear ends,a corresponding series of lower headers, wall-boxes or branch pipes forplacing the lower headers in communication with each other at theirforward ends, and vertical circulating-tubes connecting the headers.

Economizers of this type are made in sections, and the wall-boxes orbranch pipes of adjacent sections are separated to allow for contractionand expansion. To place'the wall-boxes or branch pipes in communicationwith each other, expansion-couplings are employed, consisting of curvedpipes secured at their ends to the wall-boxes or branch pipes. Asheretofore constructed, all portions of these couplings have beenlocated in the same plane, so that the aXes of the jointseats at theends of the couplings have been located in the same plane with the bodyportions of the couplings. As a result of this construction thecouplings are not allowed to bend freely throughout their entire length,but are subjected to severe strains and are often broken when thewall-boxes or branch pipes move with relation to each other. Also inthese couplings it has been necessary heretofore to provide a packing inthe form of gaskets in the joints between the ends of the coupling andthe wall-boxes or branch pipes. The use of these gaskets isobjectionable on account of their rapid deterioration and also onaccount of the fact that they do not keep the joints tight if provisionis made for any relative movement between the ends of the coupling andthe wall-boxes or branch pipes.

The object of the present invention is to provide an expansion-couplingwhich can bend freely without any liability of breaking and by which, ifdesired, the use of gaskets can be dispensed with.

WVith this object in view the present invention contemplates theprovision in an expansion-coupling consisting of a curved pipe ofoint-seats arranged with their axes angularly disposed with relation tothe plane of the body portion of the pipe so as to allow a rotarymovement of the j oint-seats when the pip e is bent. By arranging thejoint-seats so as to be capable of a rotary movement when the pipe isbent the ends of the pipe are not rigidly held when the branch pipes orwall-boxes move with relation to each other, and the pipe is allowed tobend freely, so that the strain is distributed evenly throughout thepipe. As the wall-boxes or branch pipes move toward or from each otherthe only movement imparted to the joint-seats at the end of the couplingwith relation to the branch pipes or wall-boxes is a rotary one, andconsequently the joint-seats may be tapered, so that the oints betweenthe coupling and the wall-boxes or branch pipes are tapered metal tometal joints, which form of joint does not require the use of gaskets orother packing.

While the invention, broadly considered, contemplates any form ofcoupling which consists of a curved pipe provided with jointseatsarranged with their axis angularly disposed with relation to the planeof the body portion of the pipe, a substantially U-shaped pipe ispreferably employed, theend portions of which are disposed atsubstantially right angles to the plane of the body portion, as a pipeof this shape is adapted to bend readily and can be easily manufactured.

In the preferred form of the invention hereinafter specificallydescribed the end portions of the U-shaped pipe are provided withtapered joint-seats and with flanges in which are formed elongated slotsto receive the bolts by which the pipe is secured to the wallboXes orbranch pipes and to allow the jointseats to rotate with relation to theseats in the wall-boxes or branch pipes.

The present invention will be clearly un derstood from an inspection ofthe accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view in side elevationof a portion of a well-known type of fuel-economizer provided with anexpansion-coupling embodying the present invention in its preferredform. Fig. 2 is adetail sectional plan view, on a somewhat enlargedscale, taken on the line2 2 of Fig. 1; and views, on a still largerscale, in front and side elevation, respectively, of theexpansioncoupling.

Referring to the drawings, two wall-boxes of a fuel-economizer ofwellknown construction. In Fig. 1 the vertical circulating-tubes areindicated at 3 and in Fig. 2 two of the lower headers are indicated at 4and 5. The improved expansion-coupling for connecting the two wall-boxesis indicated at 6 and as illustrated consists of a cast-ironpipe curvedin the form of the letter U and having its end portions 7 disposed atright angles to the plane of its body portion 8. The ends of theexpansion-coupling are provided with tapered joint-seats, (indicated at9,) which are received in tapered sockets or joint-seats in the sides ofthe wall-boxes 1 and 2, as is clearly illustrated in Fig. 2. The ends ofthe expansioncoupling are also provided with flanges 10, in which areformed at diametrically opposite points elongated arcshaped slots 1.1,through which securing-bolts 12 pass and hold the jointseats of thecoupling firmly against the joint-seats of the wallboxes. It will beevident from an inspection of the drawings that the axes of thejoint-seats at, the ends of the expansion-coupling are arranged at rightangles to the plane of the body portion of the coupling. When thewallboxes 1 and 2 move toward or from each other, the only movement withrelation. to the wall-boxes which the bending of the body portion of thecoupling tends to impart to the joint-seats is a rotary movement. Theelongated slots in the flanges at the ends of the coupling allow thejoint-seats of the coupling to rotate in the joint-seats of the wallboxes, and thus the ends of the coupling are not rigidly held, as incouplings which have been heretofore used, and the body portion of thepipe is allowed to bend freely, the strain on the pipe being distributedevenly thoughout its entire length.

In the form of expansion-coupling illustrated in the drawings the bodyportion of the coupling extends downwardly from the end portions. Whenthe body portion of the coupling is thus arranged, it forms a trap inwhich sediment may collect, and in order to allow this sediment to bereadily removed an opening is formed at its lowest point, which isclosed by a removable plug 13.

In expansion-couplings asheretofore constructed the curved portion ofthe coupling has been arranged in a horizontal plane. In addition to theadvantages hereinbefore set forth a coupling constructed in accordancewith the present invention has the additional advantage that the curvedbody portion of the coupling can be arranged in a vertical 1 Figs. 3 and4 are detail 1 and 2 indicate plane, so that a greater obstruction isoffered to the passage of the water directly from one wall-box to theother and the liability of the water passing from the inlet to theoutlet' ipe without circulating properly through the vertical tubes islessened.

The nature and scope of the present invention having been indicated anda preferred form of the invention having been specifically described,what is claimed is- 1. An expansion-coupling consisting of a pipe havinga curved body portion and provided with joint-seats constructed torotatably engage the parts to be coupled and arranged with their axes atsubstantially right angles to the plane of the body portion of the pipe,whereby a rotary movement of said joint-seats is permitted when the pipeis bent in the plane of its body portion.

2. An expansion-coupling consisting of a pipe having a curved bodyportion and provided with joint-seats constructed to rotatably engagethe parts to be coupled, and arranged with their axes angularly disposedwith relation to the plane of thebody portion of the pipe, whereby arotary movement of said j oirit-seats is permitted when the pipe is bentin the plane of its body portion.

3. An expansion-coupling consisting of a pipe having a curved bodyportion and end portions angularly disposed with relation to the planeof the body portion, provided with joint-seats constructed to rotatablyengage the parts to be coupled, whereby a rotary. movement of saidjoint-seats is permitted when the pipe is bent in the plane of its bodyportion.

4. An expansion-coupling consisting of a substantially Ushaped pipehaving its end 1 portions dis osed at substantially right angles to thep ane of its body portion.

5. An expansion-coupling consisting of a pipe having a curved bodyportion, end portions angularly disposed with relation to the plane ofthe body portion, and tapered jointseats on said end portions.

6. An expansion-coupling consisting of a pipe having a curved bodyportion, end portions angularly disposed with relation to the plane ofthe body portion, and flanges on said end portions provided withelongated slots to receive securing-bolts.

7. An expansioncoupling consisting of a substantially U-shaped pipehaving its end portions disposed at substantially rightangles to theplane of its body portion, tapered joint-seats on said end portions, andflanges on said end portions provided with elongated slots to receivesecuring-bolts.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ERNEST B. FREEMAN.

WVitnesses FRED O. FIsH, Horn-ion VAN EVEREN.

ICC

